Sumenep resort police chief Adjunct Senior Commissioner Susanto said he had received a report from a member of the Raas police sector that 13 of the people who had been in the boat were found dead while 14 others were saved. "But this information is still temporary," he added.
"Raas police are still on their way to the scene to know the chronology of the incident including the number of passengers on the boat. So for the time being we cannot yet confirm the real number of passengers," he said.
He said some of the dead victims and survivors had been taken to Tonduk isle and some others to Guagua isle.
"Data is still being collected but according to information circulating among local villagers the number of passengers on the ill-fated boat was above 30," he said.
Susanto said he had also sent a team to Raas Island to help local police handle the case.
"In general the weather around Raas waters was not conducive. There were strong winds," he said.
The boat was carrying relatives of a villager of Guagua who married a villager of Tonduk on Friday (Sept 23) when it capsized.
The boat left for Guagua from Tonduk with the wedding delegation. Under normal conditions the trip from Guagua to Tonduk takes two to three hours.
The boat`s skeeper meanwhile has been found safe. "According to reports that we recieved the skipper namely Suriyanto is safe but he is still shocked," Raas sub-district head Eko Junaidi said here on Saturday.
Raas is one of the island sub-districts in the district of Sumenep. Two of seven villages in Raas are isles namely Guagua and Tonduk.
A boat ride from Raas to Guagua takes around 45 minutes while from Raas to Tonduk around three for four hours.
(T.SYS/H-YH)
Editor: Suryanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
